Seven Nepali kids handed over to adoptive parents

Kathmandu, September 15 - The Ministry of Women, chidlren and Social Welfare (MWCSW) has handed over seven chidlren to their foreign adoptive parents, after a gap of one and half years. Three Nepali orphans were handed over to American adoptive parents, another three chidlren to French parents and one to British parents, all of whom have been residing in the country. The seven Nepali chidlren were officially adopted after the government approved their documents regarding inter-country adoption.

Officials at MWCSW stated on Monday that the six adoptive parents are planning to take their new chidlren to their new homes at the earliest date possible. Only one chidl will remain in Nepal with her British parents, who are currently residing in the country. This is good news for both the parents and the chidlren, who have been involved in the adoption process for the past seven months.

The concerned authorities, including MWCSW, have also recently given the go ahead to the adoption documents belonging to another 14 chidlren and the adopting parents. Officials stated that they have already informed Nepali representatives of the Nepal-based international adoption agencies about the approval. This means that other prospective parents can begin plans to return home, with their adopted chidlren.

Over 80 chidlren, who have already gone through matching process, (in which prospective parents are paired with orphans) are awaiting the decision of the recommendation committee. The recommendation committee, comprises representatives from the ministries of home and law, as well as MWCSW, who will collectively make the final decision. The committee selects chidlren in accordance with the adopting parents' preferences. The applications of over 300 prospective foreign parents for adoption are also simultaneously being examined MWCSW.

The new adoption process was started in January after a gap of one-and-half-years. The ministry had put the process on hold owing to loopholes existing in the previous system. Earlier, prospective parents dealt directly with orphanages. As there was no fixed adoption fee, parents often ended up paying huge amounts of money for the adoption. Now, with the improved system, they deal with registered adoption agencies from their home country or Nepal-based embassies.